Building sustainable university-based community gardens: Volunteer perceptions of enablers and barriers to engagement and benefits received from volunteering in the Moving Feast

Community gardens are receiving increasing attention as a source of locally available and sustainable food, and aim to increase food security. Engagement and commitment from the volunteer workforce in community gardens is an important contributor to their success and sustainability. University-based...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cogent social sciences 2018, Vol.4 (1), p.1488211
Main Authors: Anderson, Courtney, Maher, Judith, Wright, Hattie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barriers
benefits
Colleges & universities
Communication
Community
community garden
Curricula
enablers
Food security
Gardens & gardening
Qualitative research
Recruitment
student
Sustainability
Timing
university
volunteer
Volunteers
Workforce
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Summary:Community gardens are receiving increasing attention as a source of locally available and sustainable food, and aim to increase food security. Engagement and commitment from the volunteer workforce in community gardens is an important contributor to their success and sustainability. University-based community gardens are a distinct type of community garden. Little is known about barriers and enablers to volunteer engagement in this setting. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of volunteers of the Moving Feast, a newly established university community garden in Queensland (Australia), particularly the perceived benefits and the barriers and enablers influencing their engagement. Focus groups were conducted with 14 of the volunteers. Key enablers included interactive communication, personal motivations and garden-related activities embedded in university course curriculum. Common barriers to volunteering included competing priorities, the timing of sessions and activities, and a perceived lack of communication and information. Social and educational benefits emerged as the main benefits received, with an emphasis on future career benefits among student volunteers. The findings bring to light implications for volunteer recruitment, engagement and retention, particularly in university student cohorts, that may assist management and ensuring sustainability of university-based community gardens.
ISSN:2331-1886
2331-1886
DOI:10.1080/23311886.2018.1488211